Tax time! With taxes due just around the corner,
you'd better run--not walk--to Quicken's TurboTax Web site.
From here, you can order the product for delivery or use the online
version, TurboTax for the Web. The software is more affordable than
ever at $64.95 (street) for TurboTax Home & Business with a
free copy of TurboTax State via a mail-in rebate. In addition,
TurboTax customers will be able to file electronically with the IRS
for free. There's also a ton of free tax-preparation
information on the site. Call (800) 335-1348 or visit http://www.turbotax.com.

Wanted: research assistant: We all know the Web is full
of pertinent information--if only you could get your hands on it.
Wouldn't it be great to be able to offload all those tedious
Web searches to a research assistant? Unfortunately, most of us
can't afford a dedicated researcher, but we can afford the $60
(street) KCSL's X-Portal Findware, a software program that
takes plain-language questions and automatically searches the
Internet and X-Portal's included reference materials
(encyclopedias, an atlas and more) for the best answers. X-Portal
rates the quality of the answers returned by the various search
engines, which helps you weed out useless information. Check
http://www.kcsl.ca for details or
call (416) 222-6112.

Easy Internet access: If you're an AOL user thinking
about making the switch to a standard ISP but are afraid to take
the plunge because the thought of leaving your comfy AOL home puts
you into a cold sweat, fear no more. EarthLink now offers a program
that's as easy to use as AOL's, while offering the benefits
of faster connections and better customization. From within
EarthLink 5.0, users can access the Web, check e-mail and chat.
Multiple users can sign up under one account--making it easy to
share a computer with co-workers. EarthLink also includes SideCar,
a window that runs independent of the standard Web browser and
gives you access to selected content, links and e-mail
notification. Users also have ready access to 6MB apiece of
personal Web space on EarthLink, which can be used for posting Web
pages and even storing and transferring files. For more
information, visit http://www.earthlink.com or call
(800) 395-8425.

More shelf space: Planogramming is an art form successful
retailers must learn--whether they know it or not. Relating
specifically to the placement of products on displays and shelves,
planogram software helps users design, display, manage and chart
their inventory and shelf space. Large chain stores invest
thousands of dollars into planogram software, but Logical Planning
Systems has a better answer for smaller stores--its Shelf Logic
2000 ($750 street). Shelf Logic 2000 can be used by store managers,
buyers, salespeople and merchandisers for creating a visual
analysis of product and shelf space through schematic and
photographic planogram printouts. For details, visit http://www.shelflogic.com or call
(888) MY-SHELF.

Cassandra Cavanah is a computer journalist with an
entrepreneurial focus who's made a homebased career of writing
and consulting on tech-related issues. She can be reached at
ccavanah@earthlink.net.